#Herne oak

[maypoleman1]

29th January

Herne the Hunter

Source: Herne the Hunter on Craiyon

On this day in 1906, the ancient tree, Herne’s Oak was replanted in Windsor Park, Berkshire. According to legend, Herne was a skilled hunter who saved the life of King Henry VIII by placing himself between the monarch and a charging stag. Herne was made Henry’s chief huntsman as a reward, but jealous gossip ultimately led to the hero’s dismissal from the king’s service. A distraught Herne then killed himself. But his story did not end there. In death, Herne transformed in a giant stag-masked hunting god, and has haunted the woods of Windsor Park ever since, leading phantom hounds in a never-ending pursuit of spectral stags. Herne was believed to be real enough, appearing in Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor to terrify a drink-addled Falstaff. The unwary are advised to flee at the sight of Herne, whose bow has been known to seek human victims as well as the creatures of the forest.

Herne is almost certainly a Tudor memory of the Celtic god of the Underworld, the winter deity, stag-headed Cernunnos. The god’s manifestation, like that of Herne, is best avoided by mortals.

[the-nettle-knight]

Saltburn makes me wanna throw up. Not because it's perverted (it's not really, it's just got a little cinnamon). No it's got so much symbolism and folklore in that it makes me wanna vibrate out of my skin and I'm not even a folkorist

[mysterious-secret-garden]

George Cruikshank - Hernes oak from 'The merry wives of Windsor', V, 1857.

[travsd]

James A. Herne: "The American Ibsen"

Time was, all American theatre-goers knew the name of James A. Herne (James Ahearn, 1839-1901), not just a few scholars. Herne ranks with figures like Dion Boucicault and Steele MacKaye in the ranks of America’s top pre-O’Neill playwrights. After O’Neill, theatre people tended to sneer at these earlier figures but in recent decades their reputations have been partially restored if only for the…

[greenwitchcrafts]

October 2023 witch guide

Full moon: October 28th

New moon: October 14th

Sabbats: Samhain

October Hunter's Moon

Known as: Blood moon, drying rice moon, falling leaf moon, freezing moon, migrating moon, moon of the changing seasons, shedding moon, ten colds moon, winterfelleth & windermanoth

Element: Air

Zodiac: Libra & Scorpio

Nature spirits: Frost faeries & Plant faeries

Deities: Apollo, Astarte, Belili, Cernunnos, Demeter, Hathor, Herne, Horned God, Ishtar, Kore, Lakshmi & Mercury

Animals: Elephant, jackal, ram, scorpion & stag

Birds: Crow, heron & robin

Trees: Acacia, apple, cypress & yew

Herbs/Plants: Angelica, apple blossom, burdock, catnip, pennyroyal, sweet Annie, thyme & Uva ursi

Flowers: Calendula, cosmos & marigold

Scents: Apple blossom, cherry & strawberry

Stones: Amethyst, beryl, obsidian, opal, tourmaline & turquoise

Colors: Black, dark blue, Dark greens & purples

Energy: Artistic works, balance, creativity, harmony, inner cleansing, justice, karma, legal matters, mental stimulation, partnerships, reincarnation & uncovering mysteries or secrets

It is believed that this name originates from the fact that it was a signal for hunters to prepare for the upcoming cold winter by going hunting. This is because animals were beginning to fatten up in preparation for the winter season. Moreover, since fields had recently been cleared out under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily spot deer and other animals that had come out to search for remaining scraps. Additionally, foxes and wolves would also come out to prey on these animals.

The earliest use of the term “Hunter’s Moon,” cited in the Oxford English Dictionary, is from 1710. Some sources suggest that other names for the Hunter’s Moon are the Sanguine or Blood Moon, either associated with the blood from hunting or the color of the changing autumn leaves. 

Samhain

Also known as: All Hallow's Eve,  Ancestor Night, Feast of Apples, Feast of Sam-fuim, Feast of Souls, Feast of the Dead, Geimhreadh, Hallowmass, Martinmass, Old Hallowmas, Pagan New Year, Samana, Samhuinn, Samonios, Shadowfest & Third Harvest

Season: Fall

Symbols: Apples, bats, besom(brooms), black cats, cauldrons, ghosts, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, scarecrows & witches

Colors: Black, gold, orange, silver & white

Oils/incense: Basil, cloves, copal, frankincense, gum mastic, heather, heliotrope, mint, myrrh & nutmeg

Animals: Bat, boar, cat cattle & dogs

Stones: Amber, anatase, black calcite, black obsidian, black tourmaline, brass, carnelian, clear quartz diamond, garnet, gold, granite, hematite, iron, jet, marble, pearl, pyrite, ruby, sandstone, sardonyx, smokey quartz, steel & tektite

Foods: Apples, ale, beef, cider, corm, fruits, garlic, gourds, grains, hazelnuts, herbal teas, mushroom, nettle, nuts, pears, pomegranates, pork, poultry, pumpkin pie, sunflower seeds, thistle, turnips & wine (mulled)

Herbs/plants: Acorn, Allspice, catnip, corn, dittany of Crete, hazel, mandrake, mugwort, mullien, oak leaves, pine, rosemary, sage, straw, tarragon, thistle, wormwood & yellow cedar

Flowers: Calendula, chrysanthemum, deadly nightshade, rue & fumitory

Goddesses: Al-lat, Baba Yaga, Badb, Banba, Bast, Bebhionn, Bronach, Brunhilde, Cailleach, Carlin, Cassandra, Cerridwen, Copper Woman, Crobh Dearg, Devanyani, Dolya, Edda, Elli, Eris, Erishkigal, Fortuna, Frau Holde, Hecate, Hel, Ishtar, Kali, Macha Mania, Morrigan, Nemesis, Nephthys, Nicneven & Rhiannon

Gods: Arawan, Baron Samede, Belenus, Coyote, Cronus, Dagda, Dis, Hades, Loki, Nefertum, Odin, Osiris, Pluto, Woden & Xocatl

Issues Intentions & Powers: Crossroads, darkness, death, divination, honoring ancestors, introspection, the otherworld/underworld, release, visions & wisdom (of the crone)

Spellwork: Divination, fire magick, night magick, shape-shifting, spirit calling & water magick

Related festivals:

• Day of the Dead- (Spanish: Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos) is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed & is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage. Although related to the simultaneous Christian remembrances for Hallowtide, it has a much less solemn tone and is portrayed as a holiday of joyful celebration rather than mourning. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and to remember friends and family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

• All Saints Day- is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honor of all the saints & martyrs of the Church, whether they are known or unknown

Activities:

• Dedicate an altar to loved ones who have passed

• Boil a simmer pot to cleanse your space

• Have a silent dinner

• Light a candle for your loved ones & yourself

• Decorate your house and/or altar

• Release negative energy & cleanse your with a ritual bath

• Pull tarot cards to see what may be in store for you ahead

• Cleanse, clean & de-clutter your space

• Leave offerings to the Fae

• Journal & reflect on your accomplishments, challenges & everything you did this year

•Go on a nature walk

• Learn a new form of divination

• Have a bonfire with your friends and/or family

• Carve pumpkins

• Express yourself creatively through art, music, ect

• Visit a cemetery & help clean off areas that need it or to visit a family member/ ancestor & leave an offering

• Hold a seance

• Bake spooky treats & bread as offerings

• Refresh your protection magicks, sigils & rituals

Samhain is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker half" of the year. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset.

This fire festival is celebrated on October 31st & is considered the Pagan New Year. It is the first Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year, a cross-quarter festival & the third (final) harvest festival of the mundane year. This is the time when the veil between the worlds of the living & those who have passed is the thinnest, which allows greater communication between the two

Some believe this is the time of the Goddess's mourning of the death of the God until his rebirth at Yule. The Goddess's sadness can be seen in the shortening, darkening days & the arrival of cold weather

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's 2023 magical almanac: practical magic for everyday living

Wikipedia

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

[astra-ravana]

Working With Cernunnos

The Horned God

Other names: The Green Man, Pan, Puck, Herne the Hunter

Colors: Green, red, black, brown

Herbs: Oak, ivy, mistletoe, basil, juniper, grains, mushrooms, mandrake, pine, fern, cedar, patchouli, cinnamon, sage, thyme, dill, amber, clover, thistle, basil, mugwort, wormwood, sandalwood

Crystals: Malachite, lodestone, diopside, indigo gabbro, bloodstone, quantum quatro, demantoid garnet, moss agate, black quartz, tiger's eye, serpentine, unakite, rutilated quartz, moldavite, peridot

Element: Earth

Planet: Jupiter

Zodiac: Taurus, Aries, Capricorn

Metal: Lead, iron

Tarot: The Lovers, the Devil, the World

Animals: Stags, rams, horned snakes, dogs/wolves, bull, boar, rat

Domains: The forests and wilds, animals, nature, fertility, travels, the hunt, abundance, healing, manifestation, sexuality, natural energy (prana), virility, strength, primal instincts

Offerings: Wine, water, milk, antler sheds, leaves, soil, incense, plants, acts of sexuality, primal drumming, music, entering an otherworldly state or trance, communing with nature, crystals, bones, blood, stones

Symbols: Horns, torc, cauldron, moons

[usafphantom2]

Bob Pardo, Vietnam War pilot famous for Pardo’s Push maneuver, dies at 89

Jonathan Snyder

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Pardo is known for carrying out an unorthodox aviation maneuver, later coined the Pardo Push, to save the lives of his wingmen during a bombing mission over Vietnam on March 10, 1967.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Pardo is known for carrying out an unorthodox aviation maneuver, later coined the Pardo Push, to save the lives of his wingmen during a bombing mission over Vietnam on March 10, 1967. (David Cooper/U.S. Air Force)

Bob Pardo, who left his mark in Air Force history for using an unorthodox maneuver, Pardo’s Push, to save his wingmen’s lives during a bombing mission over Vietnam, died Dec. 5. He was 89.

On March 10, 1967, Pardo and weapons officer 1st Lt. Steve Wayne were on a bombing run on an enemy steel mill north of Hanoi in an F-4C Phantom, flying alongside Capt. Earl Aman and 1st Lt. Robert Houghton.

The target — North Vietnam’s only steel mill dedicated to war materiel — was heavily guarded by anti-aircraft guns and artillery.

During the mission, ground fire damaged both Pardo’s and Aman’s Phantoms, causing both to lose fuel. However, Aman lost too much to return safely to base, and Pardo knew he had to act quickly, according to a 2007 recounting of the mission by Gen. T. Michael Mosely, then the chief of staff of the Air Force.

“I knew if I didn’t do anything, they would have to eject over North Vietnam into enemy territory, and that would have resulted in their capture for sure,” Pardo said in a 2015 interview for the Air Force Veterans in Blue program. “At that time, if you were captured by civilians, you were probably going to be murdered on the spot.”

Pardo decided to push Aman’s plane using the nose of his aircraft against Aman’s tailhook, a retractable hook on the underside of the plane used for arrested landings.

He managed to decrease the rate of descent of Aman’s jet by 1,500 feet per minute, and they successfully reached friendly territory. Both air crews safely ejected over the Laotian border and were rescued by friendly forces.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Pardo died Dec. 5 at 89. (David Cooper/U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force at first reprimanded Pardo for further damaging his aircraft. Twenty years later, he received the Silver Star for his actions in the aerial rescue.

Pardo was born in 1934 in Herne, Texas, and began his Air Force career in 1954 at age 19. After flight school, he flew the Phantom during the Vietnam War, logging 132 flying missions.

He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1974. In addition to the Silver Star, his awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Air Medal with twelve Oak Leaf Clusters and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Pardo is survived by his wife, Kathryn, whom he married on March 7, 1992, five children and 10 grandchildren.

@AviationHistGal via X

[esoteric-chaos]

Beltane Masterpost - Spoonie Witch Friendly

Beltane, also called Bealtaine or May Day is celebrated on May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere (November 1st in the Southern Hemisphere). However, some people choose to celebrate the exact halfway point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.

Beltane is a Gaelic May Day festival. It is traditionally celebrated once the sun sets on April 30th in the Northern Hemisphere (October 31st in the Southern Hemisphere) and continues on until sunset on May 1st.

With Beltane we celebrate fire, fertility and the return of life after its long slumber. Beltane is associated with creativity, prosperity, hope, fertility, and sexuality.

Beltane Correspondences

Colours

Green

Light Blue

Yellow

Purple

Pink

White

Brown

Herbal

Mint

Lemon Balm

Willow

Birch

Snapdragons

Roses

Lilacs

Violets

Daffodils

Daisies

Ivy

Lily of the Valley

Foxglove

Mugwort

and many more

Edibles

Honey

Wine

Lemonade

Strawberries

Spring Greens

Cherries

Dairy Products

Animals

Rabbits

Cows

Sheep

Bees

Robins

Hawks

Frogs

Doves

Crystals, Metals and Minerals

Rose Quartz

Jade

Aventurine

Garnet

Emerald

Tourmaline

Gold

Copper

Symbols

Flowers

Maypole

Fire

Handfasting

Sex

Floral crowns

Seeds

Fae

Wreaths

Ribbons

Spiritual Meanings

Prosperity

Fertility

Self-improvement

Marriage

Cleansing

Love

Lust

Sexuality

Manifestation

Strength

Protection

Scents

Mint

Lemon

Vanilla

Jasmine

Rose

Lilac

Floral

Gods / Goddesses / Spirits

May Queen – (Celtic)

Artemis – (Greek)

Flora - (Roman)

Hera - (Greek)

Persephone - (Greek) UPG

Aphrodite – (Greek)

Diana - (Roman)

Venus (Roman)

Freya - (Norse)

Bast - (Egyptian)

Asmodeus - (Demon) UPG

Herne/ Horned god

Faunus/ Pan – (Greek)

Priapus – (Greek)

Apollon - (Greek)

Apollo - (Roman)

Cernunnos – (Celtic)

Odin – (Norse)

The Green Man

Bacchus - (Greek)

Bes (Egyptian)

Bel – (Celtic)

Oak King - (Pagan)

Need some suggestions to celebrate? I've got you covered.

High-energy celebrations and ritual

Handfasting ceremony (pagan marriage ritual)

Protection ritual

Reworking wards

Sex magic

Bondfire

Divination

Fae offerings

Garden

Low energy celebrations

Growth tarot spread

Creation of flower crowns or garlands

Lighting candles or a fireplace

Microwave mug recipes

No energy celebrations

Rest

Using a sun lamp to bask in

Practicing self-love

Drink flora tea with honey

How you celebrate the holiday does not matter. You can choose to do any activity that feels right. These are only suggestions and remember that you're enough no matter what.

Also, please note some stuff is UPG. A great book is Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden, which honours the celebrations and if you want to work more seasonally. It's not Wiccan-based and has plenty of resources for every witch.

Feel free to post how you celebrate in the comments or reblogs!

Want to see more of my posts? Check out my Wheel of the Year Masterpost or my Main Masterpost.

Sources:

[talonabraxas]

The Oak King and the Holly King Talon Abraxas

The Wiccan God is the Lord of the Greenwood, consort to the Lady of the Greenwood. Known also as Cernunnos, the Green Man, Herne the Hunter, and Lord of the Wild Hunt, he is a god of fertility, growth, death, and rebirth.

Two God-themes figure predominantly in Wiccan Sabbats: the Sun-God theme and that of the Holly King and Oak King.

The Sun-God rules the seasons. At Yule, he is the new babe, the emodiment of innocence and joy. He represents the infancy of the returning light. At Imolg, his growth is celebrated, as the days are growing longer and light stronger. At Ostara, he is a green, flourishing youth whose eye is taken by the Maiden Goddess. On Beltane, he is the young man in love who takes the Goddess as his bride. Their consummated marriage is celebrated with maypoles and bonfires. At Midsummer, he comsummates his marriage in a union so complete that it becomes a death. He is mourned at Lammas, and at Mabon, he sleeps in the womb of the Goddess. At Samhain, he waits in the Shining Land to be reborn.

The symbolism of the Horned God is also played out the theme of the Holly King and Oak King. The Horned God is the Holly King and the Oak King, two twin gods seen as one complete entity. Each of the twin gods rule for half of a year, fights for the favor of the Goddess, and dies. But the defeated twin is not truly dead, he merely withdraws for six months, some say to Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of the ever-turning Silver Wheel, which is also known as the Wheel of the Stars. This is the enchanted realm of the Goddess Arianrhod where the god must wait and learn before being born again. Arianrhod means "silver wheel" and the castle is the Aurora Borealis. She is the goddess of the astral skies and there she rules as goddess of reincarnation.

The golden Oak King, who is the light twin, rules from midwinter to midsummer. The darksome Holly King rules the dark half of the year from Midsummer to Midwinter.

[elmfae]

🌿🦌 Mythical Monday Spotlight 🦌🌿

˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊

🌟 On this April Fools, lets explore Cernunnos, the Horned God of Celtic lore! 🌿✨

˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊

🦌 The Lord of the Forest: Cernunnos symbolizes the untamed wilderness and cycles of life. 🍃🌙

Cernunnos’ Domain: the forest, animals, nature, fertility, travels, the hunt, abundance, healing, sexuality, virility, and primal instincts

Sacred place: forests and fields (all wild, un-spoiled places)

Divine Masculine and Fertility: He embodies nature's creative force and abundance.

Sacred Animals: stag, ram, (horned) snake, bull, dog, and rat

Keeper of Mysteries: Cernunnos guides us into the spiritual realm. 🌌

Spiritual Allies or Aliases: The Green Man, Pan, Puck, Herne the Hunter

💫 Embrace Cernunnos' Energy: Connect with nature, honor cycles, and meditate with him.

Elements: Earth

Symbols: Cauldron, torc

Sacred plant: Oak, Ivy, Mistletoe, Juniper, Grains

Offerings: wine, water, milk; antler sheds, leaves, soil, his sacred plants; acts of sexuality, primal drumming music, entering an otherworldly state or trance

~Fae

[silverthornwitchery]

My Experiences With The Horned God

Ok goes without saying but this is my own experience, my upg. Whether or not things are historically accurate is NOT my concern with this post. I am simply documenting my experiences. I am also NOT a reconstructionist, I am an Eclectic Neo-pagan that draws inspiration from NUMEROUS sources.

In my experiences Worshipping The Horned One and The Goddess, they're definetly like, the Primary Godheads/Energy Archetypes of the universe/nature.

My experiences with the Horned One aligns pretty well with Feri tradition, albeit he's a bit more Faceted for me.

I Experience Him as The Lightbringer, The Lord of the Forest, and The Royal Darkness/The Arddu. I'll go into Detail Below:

The Lightbringer - The Solar and Illuminating aspect of the Horned God. This form of him is the divine rebel, and very much into embracing the joys of life and pleasure. I Break the Lightbringer down into two more facets: The Blue God, and The Solar God. Both are relatively similar but to me the Blue God (this name stems from Feri) is the more esoteric and taboo aspects of light, and The Solar God is the more nature based and wild aspects of the sun itself.

The Names I use currently for these are Oberon for the Blue God, and in the past for the Solar God I've called upon Apollo and his various celtic forms, but I can't seem to find a name that sticks. I've also used Lucifer for the Lightbringer as a whole, but I'm trying to frame this side of my practice in English and Celtic folklore specifically for sake of ease. I am including things like Shakespeare, Arthurian Legends, and so on in this.

The Lord Of The Forest - This tends to be the popularized form of the Horned God. Fertility, Nature, Animals, Magic, the Cycle of Life and Death. He is blending of both the LightBringer, and The Arddu. The Lord of the Forest is a seasonal God. With the Oak King being his Spring and Summer forms, and the Holly King being his cthonic Fall and Winter forms, but name wise, I use three.

Cocidius/Callirius being the more human form of this God. Mostly human aside from ears and antlers or horns.

Herne is the Median between human and Animal, primal yet civilized, he is at least to me, 50/50 in terms of man and beast, but can shift between either pending what you are doing. The way he manifests to me and his energy feels is basically Hircine from TES, and I have worked with him under that name in the past.

Cernunnos to me is the Animal aspect of him. He speaks through nature itself, and is the large stag in the woods. He is cthonic, he is liminal, he is primal. He is the green forest itself in the warm seasons, and the dead and rebirthing forest in the cold. Cernunnos is the masculine embodiment of nature itself.

The Arddu - The Dark/Shadow aspect of the Horned God. He is the master of the Witches Sabbath, the embodiment of death, decay, and the shadow. Since he is death he is also rebirth and transformation. He is not malevolent, actually quite the opposite, but he is not opposed to destroying things to rebuild them, nor is he opposed to baneful workings in any ways. The Arddu as I understand him, often appears as a humanoid black goat or Stag with a candle lit between his horns. Sometimes his head is a skull, sometimes it is not. Sometimes he is more human in appearance. Regardless, The Arddu fulfills the role of "folk devil" in my own practice, though I've moved away from calling him that, as Arddu, meaning Dark One, feels more natural to me. Though I am not against, and actually quite enjoy the reclamation of the word Devil.

The Arddu comes to me in two colors, Black and White.

Black is the color of the fertile soil, which is made that way through decay. Black is the color of the shadow, the subconscious, and the taboo. That which we as people are taught to fear, but once embraced gives us immense power. In this form he's been coming to me as Arawn, but also in the past has come to me as Sathanas and the archetypal Sabbatic Goat. He dons the skull of either a Stag, Ram, Wolf, or Goat, or has those skulls for his actual face.

White is the color often associated with the otherworld, and the Wild Hunt. The White Arddu is the Light Betwixt the Horns and the winter snows. He is faery king in essence. To me he manifests in a more humanoid form, and is very fae-like. He is a trickster, a teacher, and a phantom.. to me he appears as Gwyn Ap Nudd, and I understand Gwyn and Arawn to be two sides of the same coin in my path.

[kittypets-unite-au]

Kittypets Unite: Herbs

KU: Herbs

Fun fact, most of the herbs used in warriors actually kill cats! So I decided to come up with my own list by researching herbs that are good for kitties

Also, quite a few of these herbs are taken from @bonefall 's herb guide, so thanks man!

Starflower (Fantasy herb)

Uses: The Starflower is used as a strong painkiller and, when chewed up and placed on wounds, helps the healing process. It also helps bring down fevers if mixed with Dill and water, and is a powerful greencough cure if mixed with catnip

Appearance: A five pointed, yellow flower with long sepals. They grow in a clustered bush with minty-green stems

Milk Weed (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Milk Weed leaves are used to help queens produce milk and soothe bleeding

Appearance: A tall, dark green stem with spade-shaped, thick leaves that secrete a white liquid

Chicadia Roots (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Is one of the ingredients used to mask a cat’s scent, usually for trans toms or masc nonbinary cats

Appearance: Reddish brown, flaky bark with a sharp, musky scent. When mixed with Sosper, it causes a cat to smell like a tom

Mollywood (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Is one of the ingredients used to mask a cat’s scent, usually for trans mollies or femme nonbinary cats

Appearance: A tall, woody plant with a sweet yet earthy scent. When mixed with Sosper, it causes a cat to smell like a molly

Sosper (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Is one of the ingredients used to mask a cat’s scent, is used to mask a cat’s original scent and helps the other herb last longer

Appearance: Small, box-like bushes with thin, jagged leaves and large yellow blooms, smells very strongly of mint and dill

Rain Clove (Fantasy Herb)

Uses: Helps prevent hypothermia, also helps with whitecough and running noses

Appearance: Tall green stem with large, cornflower blue flowers with three petals. They grow in tight clusters

Sweet Ribwort (Fantasy Herb)

Uses: Bulbs help treat distemper, leaves can be ground into a rub to soothe aching joints, sores, and irritation

Appearance: Tall, thin green stems with large white bulbs and large jagged leaves

Gutskentch (Fantasy Hern)

Uses: Treats worms, parasites, and diarrhea

Appearances: Tall, serrated leaves with blood red stalks

Thyme

Uses: Helps reduce shock and calm panic attacks

Appearance: Long, thin stems with small, oval shaped, slightly furled pale green leaves

Cat Grass

Uses: Cat Grass is used to help cats cough up hairballs and make cats vomit if they ate something poisonous

Appearance: Thick, green on the top and white on the bottom grass with a rounded point of a tip

Catnip

Uses: Catnip is used to give cats energy to fight off illness. It’s especially useful for greencough when mixed with Starflower. It’s also a good idea to mix it with Valerian to give the cat energy and boost their immune system for greencough

Appearance: Oval, jagged light green leaves that grow in clusters

Feverfew

Uses: Headaches, arthritis, joint pain, eye infections, and inflammation

Appearance: Tightly clustered stems, bright green leaves that look like oak leaves but more serrated, and flowers that look like daises

Eyebright

Uses: Helps treat eye infections and cataracts

Appearance: Tall light brown stems with wide, spiky leaves at the bottom and pinkish white flowers

Fennel

Uses: Oral health, inflammation, eye infections, stomach aches, and bacterial infections

Appearance: Tall green stems attached to a greenish white bulb. Has thin, stem-like leaves and yellow flowers

Witch Hazel

Uses: Witch Hazel flowers are used to cover wounds to keep dirt out of it, and helps dull the pain slightly

Appearance: A short tree with dark brown bark and yellow strap-like flower petals

Valerian

Uses: Valerian is used to help boost a cat’s immune system and give them energy. Valerian root also helps treat epilepsy

Appearance: Tall stems with fern-like leaves, and clustered, tiny pink flowers that grow at the very top in a cluster

Peppermint

Uses: Peppermint is used to repel fleas and ticks and soothe irritated skin

Appearance: Green, textured leaves that grow in layers

Echinacea

Uses: Echinacea is used as a rarer but much more potent version of Valerian, and is a very effective cure for respiratory infections and kittencough

Appearance: Pink, long flower petals with a huge, green and yellow pistil and a tall stem

Mullein

Uses: Mullein is used to treat the nasty yellowcough. It’s especially important because it prevents the severe lung damage that yellowcough leaves

Appearance: Very tall stalks with reedy yellow flower blooms and large, fuzzy pale green leaves

Red Clover

Uses: Can be crushed up and mixed with a bit of water to heal cracked paw pads, burns, and sores. Can also be mixed with Valerian to treat asthma or Wintercough

Appearance: Tall, thin stems with oval shaped leaves that grow close together, on top is a bulbous purple flower

Licorice Root

Uses: Licorice Root is used for colds, allergies, and stomach aches

Appearance: Wide, circular leaves that grow in a bush, with dark reddish-brown roots

Cat’s Claw

Uses: Cat’s Claw is used to boost a cat’s immune system and is especially kit friendly

Appearance:  Five bright yellow petals that widen at the ends attached to vines

Calendula

Uses: Calendula is helpful to prevent inflammation in wounds and sores, and is a component of a mixture used to treat wounds

Appearance: Long, oval leaves with bright orange flowers with clustered petals

Goldenseal

Uses: Goldenseal is used to help keep down infection in wounds, and is a component of a mixture used to treat wounds. It

Appearance: Three-pointed leaves with small, white flowers on top

Willow Bark

Uses: Helps with joint pain, arthritis, and chronic pain. The sticks can also be chewed on to keep teeth clean

Appearance: Jagged light grayish brown with deep grooves

Marshmallow

Uses: Helps clear up mucus in chest for those with respiratory issues and clears up urinary blockage. Also helps greatly with gastrointestinal issues

Appearance: Tall stemmed bushes with jagged, three pointed leaves and five-petaled white flowers with a pinkish purple center

Hawthorne Berries

Uses: Helps with heart issues

Appearance: Shortish tree with oak-leaf shaped leaves, small white flowers, and small red berries

Honey

Uses: Anti-bacterial and soothing sore throats. Can also be mixed with herbs to make kits eat them

Appearance: Gooey, thick golden-yellow liquid

Lavender

Uses: Helps soothe anxiety and shock and is used as a funeral herb

Appearance: Low to the ground bush with sage-green stems and leaves with tall, dark purple blooms

Rosemary

Uses: Funeral herb

Appearance: Tall pale green stems with narrow oval leaves and small blue flowers at the top

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Today, Wikipedia told me...

That the legend of Herne the Hunter might have been made up out of the whole cloth by Shakespeare, for his play The Merry Wives of Windsor. He could have also been relating a local town legend, but his version is the first one we have in writing:

Margaret Page: There is an old tale goes that Herne the hunter, Sometime a keeper here in Windsor forest, Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight, Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns; And there he blasts the tree and takes the cattle And makes milch-kine yield blood and shakes a chain In a most hideous and dreadful manner: You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know The superstitious idle-headed eld Received and did deliver to our age This tale of Herne the hunter for a truth.

(Act 4, scene 4)

Anyway, I'm going to take this opportunity to thoroughly recommend Merry Wives. It's another case where the general consensus of "Literary Shakespeare Scholars" and I part company; generally, it's considered one of his "lesser plays," and not very good.

It has a feel very much like an episode of "I love Lucy." I can't help but wonder if it's held in low regard because:

A) There's not a lord or king in sight, B) it''s very self-aware of its genre as a farce, and C) the plot is thoroughly driven by a pair of middle-aged, married, women (and we even get to learn their first names!).

...Considering who, generally, have been the arbiters of taste, regarding Shakespeare, for the majority of the last 300+ years.

I usually like to recommend Shakespeare plays to people by way of professional performance. But this play is so rarely performed. The closest I could find was this version by college students in 2012 (uploaded to YouTube in April, 2020, by the Texas Shakespeare Festival, since live, in-person, performances weren't happening that year). ~2 1/2 hours. Auto-generated captions. Content Warning for fatphobia in the original script.

Link to an HTML of the full script online, from MIT.edu.

[reignofthrones]

MOBILE MUSE LIST!!

i figured this might be helpful for those on mobile so they don't need to scroll forever on the google thingy.

CONQUEST, PRE & AFTER.

AEGON I TARGARYEN / Semi-canon / Travis Fimmel fc / straight.

AERYN TARGARYEN / Semi-Canon / Nick Slater fc / straight.

ALYSSA VELARYON / Canon / Thalissa Teixeira fc / straight.

DIRUS / Original / son of an Old God / Leo Suter fc / pan-demisexual.

JAEHAERYS TARGARYEN / Canon / Bradley James & Elliot Cowan fc / straight.

RHAENYS TARGARYEN / Canon / Rebecca Ferguson fc / pansexual.

VISENYA TARGARYEN / Canon / Katheryn Winnick fc / bisexual.

DANCE OF THE DRAGONS & AFTER.

AEGON III TARGARYEN / Canon / Toby Regbo fc / straight.

AEMMA ARRYN / Canon / Alexandra Dowling fc / bisexual.

AEMOND TARGARYEN / Canon / Ewan Mitchell fc / bisexual.

ALICENT HIGHTOWER / Canon / Emily Carey & Olivia Cooke fc / pansexual.

ALYRIE FLORENT / Semi-Canon / Sarah Parish fc / bisexual.

ALYS RIVERS / Canon / Madeleine Madden fc / bisexual.

ARRYK CARGYLL / Canon / Luke Tittensor fc / pansexual.

BAELA TARGARYEN / Canon / Bethany Antonia fc / pansexual.

CREGAN STARK / Canon / Clive Standen fc / bisexual.

DAEMON TARGARYEN / Canon / Matt Smith fc / bisexual.

DAENAERA VELARYON / Canon / Abbie Hern fc / pansexual.

DAERRA TARGARYEN / Original / sister of Rhaenyra / Freya Allan & Jodie Comer fc / pansexual.

ERRYK CARGYLL / Canon / Elliott Tittensor fc / pansexual.

GWAYNE HIGHTOWER / Canon / Freddie Fox fc / pansexual.

HARWIN STRONG / Canon / Eoin Macken fc / straight.

HELAENA TARGARYEN / Canon / Phia Saban fc / pansexual.

JACAERYS VELARYON / Canon / AU main verse / Harry Collett & George Blagden fc / straight.

JEYNE ARRYN / Canon / Annabel Scholey fc / lesbian.

LAENA VELARYON / Canon / Nanna Blondell fc / straight.

LARYS STRONG / Canon / Matteo Martari fc / bi-demisexual.

LEOLIN MORMONT / Original / heir of House Mormont / Alexander Dreymon fc / straight.

RHAENYRA TARGARYEN / Canon / Milly Alcock & Emma D'Arcy fc / bisexual.

RHEA STARK / Original / daughter of Aelyssa & Cregan / Sarah Bolger fc / bisexual.

RICKON STARK / Original / son of Aelyssa & Cregan / Alexander Ludwig fc / pansexual.

SARA SNOW / Semi-Canon / Katherine Langford fc / bisexual.

URION HIGHTOWER / Original / half-brother of Otto / David Oakes fc / bisexual.

VISENYA TARGARYEN / Semi-Canon / Freya Allan fc / bisexual.

GAME OF THRONES.

BRIENNE OF TARTH / Canon / Gwendoline Christie fc / bisexual.

CERSEI LANNISTER / Canon / Lena Headey fc / bisexual.

DAENERYS TARGARYEN / Canon / Emilia Clarke fc / bisexual.

DOREAH / Semi-Canon / Kylie Bunbury fc / bisexual.

EDDARD STARK / Canon / Viggo Mortensen fc / straight.

JAIME LANNISTER / Canon / Nikolaj Coster-Waldau fc / straight.

JON SNOW / Canon / Kit Harington fc / straight.

KARSI / Canon / Josefin Asplund fc / bisexual.

MISSANDEI / Canon / Nathalie Emmanuel fc / straight.

ROBB STARK / Canon / Richard Madden fc / bisexual.

SANSA STARK / Semi-Canon / Charlotte Hope fc / bisexual.

THEON GREYJOY / Semi-Canon / Mark Rowley fc / straight.

WILLAS TYRELL / Canon / Daniel Sharman fc / pansexual.

DRAGONS.

ARRAX / Canon / no fc.

BALERION / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

CANNIBAL / Canon / no fc.

CARAXES / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

DREAMFYRE / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

DROGON / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

MELEYS / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

MERAXES / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

MOONDANCER / Canon / no fc.

QUICKSILVER / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

RHAEGAL / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

SEASMOKE / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

SHEEPSTEALER / Canon / no fc.

SILVERWING / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

SUNFYRE / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

SYRAX / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

TERRAX / Canon / no fc.

TESSARION / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

VERMAX / Canon / no fc.

VERMITHOR / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

VHAGAR / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

VISERION / Canon / shapeshifter verse available.

DIREWOLVES.

GHOST / Canon / no fc.

GREY WIND / Canon / no fc.

LADY / Canon / no fc.

WINTER / Original / no fc.

[rhianna]

WINDSOR CASTLE. WILLIAM HEPWORTH DIXON.h

Windsor was river born and river named. The stream is winding, serpentine; the bank by which it rolls was called the “winding shore.” The fact, common to all countries, gives a name which is common to all languages. Snakes, dragons, serpentines, are names of winding rivers in every latitude. There is a Snake river in Utah, another Snake river in Oregon; there is a Drach river in France, another Drach river in Switzerland. The straits between Paria and Trinidad is the Dragon’s Mouth; the outfall of Lake Chiriqui is also the Dragon’s Mouth. In the Morea, in Majorca, in Ionia, there are Dragons. There is a Serpent islet off the Danube, and a Serpentaria in Sardinia. We have a modern Serpentine in Hyde Park!

Windsor, born of that winding shore-line, found in after days her natural patron in St. George.

With one exception, all the Castle builders were men and women of English birth and English taste; Henry Beauclerc, Henry of Winchester, Edward of Windsor, Edward of York, Henry the Seventh, Queen Elizabeth, George the Fourth, and Queen Victoria; and these English builders stamped an English spirit on every portion of the pile—excepting on the Norman keep.

113

Ages before the Normans came to Windsor, a Saxon hunting-lodge had been erected in the forest; not on the bleak and isolated crest of hill, but by the river margin, on “the winding shore.” This Saxon lodge lay hidden in the depths of ancient woods, away from any public road and bridge. The King’s highway ran north, the Devil’s Causeway to the south. The nearest ford was three miles up the stream, the nearest bridge was five miles down the stream. A bridle-path, such as may still be found in Spain or Sicily, led to that Saxon lodge; but here this path was lost among the ferns and underwoods. No track led on to other places. Free to the chase, yet severed from the world, that hunting-lodge was like a nest. Old oaks and elms grew round about as screens. Deep glades, with here and there a bubbling spring, extended league on league, as far as Chertsey bridge and Guildford down. This forest knew no tenants save the hart and boar, the chough and crow. An air of privacy, and poetry, and romance, hung about this ancient forest lodge.

Seeds of much legendary lore had been already sown. A builder of that Saxon lodge had been imagined in a mythical king—Arthur of the Round Table, Arthur of the blameless life—a legend which endures at Windsor to the present day. There, Godwin, sitting at the king’s board, had met his death, choked with the lie in his wicked throat. There, Edward the Confessor had lisped his prayers, and cured the halt and blind. There, too, the Saxon princes, Tosti and Harold, were supposed to have fought in the king’s presence, lugging out each other’s locks, and hurling each other to the ground. Of later114 growth were other legends; ranging from the romance of the Fitz-Warines, through the Romaunt of the Rose, down to the rhyme of King Edward and the Shepherd, the mystery of Herne the Hunter, and the humours of the Merry Wives.

William the Conqueror preserved his Saxon hunting-lodge by the river-side, but built his Norman keep on the Castle Hill

Turrets, towers, and temples : The great buildings of the world, as seen and… http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/72946

[silversiren1101]

How did they first meet? Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like? Who’s more protective? If they get married, who proposes?

Thanks for the ask Ella! Questions here - Going to do... Thistle and Sosiel!!! They're still new so, these aren't set in stone but I'm excited to think of them!

How did they first meet?

In that tent at the first war camp with Galfrey, of course. Thistle gave him a big wide smile and pulled him into a hug because he doesn't know the traditional polite greeting of shaking hands.

Sosiel was surprised at first and flustered, but was also very endeared by this weird, lithe lad who seems to fascinated by the world he's woken up in.

Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

This one is kind of hard to say, and I think they would have different opinions on what their first date was. Thistle would drag him out to somewhere in Sarkoris that is rife with death and spirits - he'd rouse the spirits and bring them into a dance to bring them joy and peace and try to send them off, wanting Sosiel to partake in this special ritual of his. It... doesn't land right, and it's one of the first of many "there is beauty in death and the things left behind" arguments/chafing moments they have. Later, Sosiel sees the little shoots of grass that and flowers that start to grow after Thistle sends the spirits off, and understands a little better.

Sosiel meanwhile would have something a bit more traditional: a picnic in Wintersun or something, where he'd paint Thistle or the landscape as a gift to him. Thistle probably wouldn't see it as a date unless told it was one, lol.

Who’s more protective?

It's gotta be Sosiel, who has found this one spot of peace for him in this war, albeit a weird one! Especially before Trever is brought home, he's immensely protective of Thistle and leverages that well of anger of his for protecting him in battle.

If they get married, who proposes?

Sosiel is absolutely going to marry this guy. A cleric of Shelyn?? Marriage. No exceptions. Thistle doesn't understand it at first and thinks it very silly: "I don't need a ceremony or anything to say I want to stay with you forever", but Sosiel reframes it as an important ritual in his mind binding their souls together so that they can find each other after death and such, and he gets it.

They'd have two ceremonies: one in Andoren in Sosiel's home that's a more traditional wedding and reception, and the other back in the Estrovian Forest, just the two of them, before Herne's Oak, releasing Thistle from his service guarding it.